Sunday, 9 October 2011

A Chilly Sunday "Pick-Me-Up"

The weather in Cambridge was tropical last week, and I managed to get a nasty flu bug

whilst it was so lovely and toasty outside... Just my luck!

And now?

It's so blinking cold in Cambridge at the minute, that all I seem to crave the last few days

(Now that my hunger is back finally!) is Afternoon Tea or a good slice of cake.

However, as most of us know, a great Afternoon Tea or even a great slice of cake in Cambridge (or even in Cambridgeshire for that matter) is hard to come by, and I don't fancy traveling too far today!

No, today is a day for home baking.

This morning I admittedly watched the final of The Great British Bake Off for a SECOND time this week, curled up in bed with the pup keeping my feet warm and all I could crave - naturally - was a slice of cake.

So, Off to the kitchen I go after an hour of internet browsing for cake inspiration. (There are some really brilliant drool-inducingfood blogsout there, there really is!)

I decided to make up my first ever Rainbow Cake creation, and I used a small and new cake tin from Lakeland to make a smaller cake that wouldn't make me feel so guilty digging into... Hmmm.

I made it a 3 layer cake, making a yellow layer, a pink vanilla layer as well as a plain sponge layer with white chocolate chips and coloured sugar strands to give it a bite. I then layered the cake with lashings of Cream Cheese frosting in between them as well as around the top and edges.

All I can say is.... It's heavenly! A welcome Pick-Me-Up in this miserable cold weather change.

And here are my lovely concoctions today in which I have kind of made up as I have gone along ... with a deliciously warming teacup of Hot Chocolate with cinnamon to try out a recipe for my upcoming Secluded Midnight Feast... of which there are only 5 spaces left should you fancy this decadent version of my tea parties right here at The Secluded Tea Party HQ in Cambourne... my very OWN Secluded Tea Party venue to be precise.

I have also wanted to try out some chocolate spoons, inspiration taken from a new Alice inspired book that I have recently found and devoured and pored over for the next few events... It's my new bible!

I played with a milk chocolate with caramel pieces inside, and intend to melt this into hot milk later before bed for a small chocolate fix - round 2. Hehe.

This weekend has gone too quickly, but I do feel recharged after a baking session (For myself for a change!) and a well needed trip to the cinema to see "Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark"for a Guillermo Del Toro fix. It was brilliant, I really enjoyed the child-like and very dark fairy tale that he has produced.

Now to enjoy a slice of my experimental Rainbow Cake.... And take the rest to my colleagues in the morning!

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All photographs are my own work (Unless noted with permission from the owners) and should not be used without my permission.

Some recipes here are my own work. It is obvious from reading my Blog whether it is an original recipe, whether it is a previously published recipe from another cook or another source, or whether I have made enough adaptations to a previously published recipe to be able to call the result my own work.

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